My Ends Need Serious Help

[Islandgrrl]

The last 6 inches or so of my hair has damage from conventional hair color and is just crazy tangly and it's driving me nuts.

I washed my hair yesterday, shampoo on the scalp, let the suds run through everything else as I rinsed. I had already detangled my hair prior to washing and I'm very, very gentle. But I forgot conditioner. Totally.

I don't even bother to try to detangle my hair when it's wet or damp. I always wait until it's dry. So this morning, I started detangling and the bottom 6 inches was horrendous. The rest of it was fine...I wouldn't have even suspected I'd forgotten conditioner if I didn't know I had (you know what I mean?). But OY!!! It took me nearly a half hour to finer detangle the knots and velcroey ends.

Coconut Oil doesn't seem to have helped and I'm really at a loss. What is there to do to help these nasty ends, other than ***cut them off?


*** I am not inclined to cut them off...not just yet, anyway.

[girlcat36]

Have you tried olive oil overnight? It's heavier than coconut, but CO washes out nicely.

[Islandgrrl]

I have not tried that.

But I will! Thanks!

[little_acorn]

How about an SMT - the honey should help to draw some moisture in to those damaged ends. I find it helps my 2 damaged hair sections that were dyed bright red with a salon-dye - now quite velcro-y at the ends.

[Elphie]

Have you tried clarifying yet? Maybe it's more build-up than damage?

[jojo]

I second the olive oil, i remember when I first joined and had the exact same problem and shadow walker advised the oilve oil on my ends, daily. It worked a treat for me, I havent done a full oiling with it but Id bet with your curly hair it would be good. Also rather than a big cut a micro trim can make all the difference in tangly ends.

[angelthadiva]

Izzie: I had that a while ago even after condish :o I did the Feye self-trim and trimmed off 2.5" and have not looked back :)

I'm a heavy oiler the night before a wash 1-2x/mo. That works good too. I do a mix of coconut oil and jojoba :)

[Islandgrrl]

Thanks to all of you for the great suggestions.

I love SMT and do it as often as I can find the time, but you've given me an idea about honey on the ends.

My next trim is scheduled for my birthday, mid-May, but I may just have to cave in and do it sooner. I'm terrified of doing more than a dusting on myself!

Buildup isn't the issue. I've clarified without imprrovement on my ends. :(

Maybe an oil other than coconut? Olive oil next on the list to try!

[myrrhmaiden]

I've recently switched from coconut to shea butter and have seen an immediate improvement. My hair loves it. It seems to absorb it better. The coconut felt more like it stayed on top whereas the shea feels more penetrative. It makes even my very damaged ends silky.

eta: I really like the idea of a heavy oiling the night before a wash too. I shall have to appropriate this genius tactic immediately. I'm also not ready for my inevitable trim. :P

[SpinDance]

Definitely try different oils/treatments, one at a time, to see if you get better results. I've recently realized that one hair oil blend I'd picked up has olive oil as the first and probably primary ingredient and my hair seems to want to tangle with it and it doesn't sink in, just coats the outside. My hair is smooth and happy with Beldaran's oil, shea butter, coconut oil and another blend I've got. I have not yet experimented with jojoba alone, but the blend that works has it as the primary ingredient so I have hopes it will work. Heavy oiling the night before washing is helping, too. Very small trims when things get bad and nothing else helps.

[jojo]

I put some olive oil on my hair today because of this thread and it has soaked right in to nothing, just thought id share!

[Nightshade]

When I had lots of dye damage straight oils never did anything to me. The theory is that oils need protien to bind, and dye damaged hair can be very protien deficient. I had MUCH better luck with Fox's Shea Conditioner and frequent dustings.

[pinchbeck]

When I had lots of dye damage straight oils never did anything to me. The theory is that oils need protien to bind, and dye damaged hair can be very protien deficient. I had MUCH better luck with Fox's Shea Conditioner and frequent dustings.
What are some examples of proteins other than foodstuffs (like eggs, etc.) that can be incorporated with oil?

[Nightshade]

You can pick up a packet of Henna & Placenta for a song at many drugstores in the US. It's cassia, not henna, so no color, and it works well.

[janeytilllie]

I Definitely agree with the others about trying other oils e.g olive oil. When my hair was longer I use to have exactly the same thing with coconut oil. My ends would tangle and be like velcro.

When I swichted to oilve oil/jojoba and shea butter my ends were alot happier :)
Also doing moisture treatments were my ends best friends :D

Hope this helps :flower:

[Juanita]

I use shea butter on my ends. Same one I use on my body. Works a treat. Nice silky ends and all absorbed. I also use some coconut oil. my ends are dyed.

[Othala]

I suggest you mix equal amounts of shea butter and cocnut oil together and apply this to the ends as a leave in.